SmallCaliberCentral

I have 2 204's. the one I want to use to kill these dogs is a TC encore. It shoots the vmax better than the 39 gr. sierras. Will it be enough? I am not worried about fur or anything. these yotes are killing deer and pets. And I have been asked to fix the problem. If I still had my 220 swift I would not even ask, but like I said. I have 2 204's.

I've used both the 40gr and the 32gr Vmax's and have dropped coyote's in there tracks with both the 32gr Vmax's will work fine. If you can get a good heart shot I find it is still the best place to land a bullet.

I agree with Ryan. Try to get a broadside shot and put the bullet directly into the heart/lung area. I would go with the heavier bullet if it shoots well in your rifle. I had a coyote quartering away from me the other day and tried to drive a 35 grain Berger bullet from behind the rib cage up into the lungs. That would not have been a problem for the 22-250 but in this case the bullet did not penetrate far enough and all I got was a 6 foot piece of small intestine. I made the classic mistake of going after the coyote too soon thinking I had hit it in the hip. It was laying down 20 yards from where I shot it but when it heard me coming it jumped up and ran off. I searched for over three hours for it but there was no more blood after it lay down. It likely will be dead somewhere within several hunderd yards but so far the dog and I haven't been able to find it. I would much rather miss the shot than have this sort of outcome.

When calling with my friend we have noticed some "blow up" on shots out to 100 yds. The 39/40's do less. One thing we had some success with was loading the 32's down (safely of course-check your loading manual). It appeared that when the 32 was loaded down it penetrated better and with less blow up on the close shots.

I have taken a coyote using 32 gr vmax out of a factory cartridge. worked good, guys round here say bigger is better, I am loading 35gr bergers right now.

I personally like to use 40 or 45 gr Hornady factory ammo and do head shots when close (100yds or less) and when possible....sometimes they're moving too much for such a shot. I have found that the 40 and 45 do better at penetration with less of a splash shot (especially the 45gr SP). that sp does good at bustin' ribs and shoulders too! Be cautious of an exit on the SP versus the poly tips.

I use the 32 gr and the Winchester 34 gr for stray cats, squirrels, rabbits, etc. Dog size critters get the 40/45 grainers.

Headshots are easier when hunting over a deer gut pile or road carcass (check with your local wildlife division before removing road carcass).

HTH

Sniper, has it right about that 45 Hornady Spire Point. My friend has been using them on coyotes the last few times and has been real impressed with the penetration, even when encountering bone.

I have heard of 32's doing a splash shot (no penetration, only external explosion). I use 40's for coyotes and stray dogs.

The 32's are outstanding on prarie dogs , and I have seen them go splat on a coyote (no penetration.). Hmmm, I bet the 32 are great on stray cats..........

Right you are. Entrance hole only, no exit. Result is a nearly perfect cat pelt for your mantle, if you are so inclined .

I have actually shot a stray cat at 128 yds, and the best part. . . the cat didn't even know he'd been shot. I'd thought I'd missed him and shot again. Upon the second shot hitting the shoulder, the cat jumped a few feet in the air and plopped on the ground. Hmmmm. . . .cat stew

I tried to sell the pelt, but too much damage.

Creekwalkr
So, where did that first bullet hit? Did it not expand?

The first bullet was a chest shot/broad side. I am unsure why the round didn't expand. . . 40 gr hornady. I should say that it did begin to explode/expand as it was leaving the body.

The next round was 32 grain vmax and it was a shoulder shot. Oddly the cat jumped into the air and when it hit the ground it no longer moved.

however, when I've shot raccoons with the 40 grainers at lesser yds the coon was rolled over with the first shot.

I believe that the hide on the cat was so thin that there was not enough resistance against the bullet to activate the expansion mechanism causing the polymer tip to be shoved back into the core. . . .

But on el coyote. . . . penetration and expansion are achieved!